Hi guys. I'm thinking of ordering a pair of NC400 modules and I'm struggling with some decisions...

- Should I go for the Hypex switch mode power supply or save some import duty money and build / buy something locally in Canada?

- Should I go for Monoblocks or just a stereo amp?

A pair of monoblocks would cost me around $1200 CDN + import duties + other stuff IE Chassis and I'm not sure I want to shell out that much for amps, when I've never heard meaningful differences between good amps.

I don't want to mess up as I've never done a DIY amp before, but I reallly want to go Ncore

Hi guys. I'm thinking of ordering a pair of NC400 modules and I'm struggling with some decisions...

- Should I go for the Hypex switch mode power supply or save some import duty money and build / buy something locally in Canada?

- Should I go for Monoblocks or just a stereo amp?

A pair of monoblocks would cost me around CDN + import duties + other stuff IE Chassis and I'm not sure I want to shell out that much for amps, when I've never heard meaningful differences between good amps.

I don't want to mess up as I've never done a DIY amp before, but I reallly want to go Ncore

Considering that the major cost is the modules themselves a single SMPS isn't that much to add, why not go with safety first and buy their SMPS? And it obviously works great with the modules so you don't have to worry about compatibility =)

I have a bi-amped UcD system with a "servo" controller on the low side. I don't "just" want to replace the UcD's with NCores I want to make a leap forward and not an incremental step.

So my question (finally) is:

1. Will Hypex make an NCore 50 or 100 (for tweeter only) for DIY use?
2. What would the chances of getting a DSP board powerful enough to do 3 way XO, digital servo simulation AND room correction in "mono" boards to put in active speakers?

**edit:**

3. Will they make an SMPS that can power two NCores and a DSP?

And I LOVE my UcD's so a leap forward like this would really be something.

Considering that the major cost is the modules themselves a single SMPS isn't that much to add, why not go with safety first and buy their SMPS? And it obviously works great with the modules so you don't have to worry about compatibility =)

RockLeeEV: The Hypex SMPS seems to work well enough that Hypex hasn't developed a linear supply (Bruno says he can't hear a difference). There have been some failed attempts on this forum to use other PSUs with the nCores. Check what the Canada Customs duty is on the SMPS and I think you will find that it is very small. What is you time worth? I think it will be much easier to just buy the complete kit from Hypex, which is really easy to assemble, than it will be to carve your own path.

The only thing that worries me is the heat these tiny little amps pick up. They get much hotter than I actually expected, although I listen at really moderate levels. I left them turned on during the day presuming that with the dedicated power supply they'd automatically turn to standby mode. Maybe that didn't happen and that's the problem? Any advice on the heat issue would be welcome.
For the rest: whoever wants to come and listen to these amps in or around Berlin, Germany, is welcome to do so

It's been discussed at some length earlier in this thread and there aren't really any heat issues by using an enclosed case. Read the notes in the data sheet. If you want to add some ventilation then feel free, but there's no need to and there's no problem if you don't

The power supply is powered up all the time the SMPS standby line is open circuit. You need to provide your own control circuit(s) if you want to take the amp or smps in/out of standby at any time. The smps doesn't know anything about the input signal to the amp so wouldn't know when to to take the amp in or out of standby.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Julf

nAMPON, pin 3 of J9. You don't need to disconnect the amp from power, just need to disconnect nAMPON from ground to turn the amps off.

nampon doen't actually turn the amps off - it mutes/disables them; they're still consuming power

It's been discussed at some length earlier in this thread and there aren't really any heat issues by using an enclosed case. Read the notes in the data sheet. If you want to add some ventilation then feel free, but there's no need to and there's no problem if you don't

The power supply is powered up all the time the SMPS standby line is open circuit. You need to provide your own control circuit(s) if you want to take the amp or smps in/out of standby at any time. The smps doesn't know anything about the input signal to the amp so wouldn't know when to to take the amp in or out of standby.

nampon doen't actually turn the amps off - it mutes/disables them; they're still consuming power

Maybe my expectations of the heat created by a Class-D amplifier were wrong. They get as hot and even hotter than my Lehmann Linear Headphone Amp which I am using as a preamp right now. And the Lehmann is running in pure Class A which is supposed to be hotter than A/B of course. My Musical Fidelity X-150 integrated amp albeit its small size never created nearly as much heat as the Ncores.
I am considering using a power switch because taking out the power line out of the rear sockets all the time is kind of annoying. I think that leaving them powered up 24 hours a day will probably diminish the life expectancy of some of the electronic parts inside...